Thursday, June 16 2005 20:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Alleging that attempts were on to 'shield' those involved in the multi-crore flood relief scam in Bihar, the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) today (Jun 16, 2005) demanded a CBI probe into the fraud.

''Attempts are being made to shield those responsible for the flood relief scam involving swindling of over Rs 1000 crore. Unfortunately, the ongoing probe (by the State's vigilance bureau) is confined to Patna and so we demand a thorough inquiry by the CBI,'' CPM State secretary Vijay Kant Thakur said in a statement after a meeting of the State secretariat of the party.

The statement, while not elaborating on who were being shielded, alleged over Rs 1000 crore meant for rebuilding houses under the Indira Awas Yojana, repairing damaged embankments and roads and conducting relief operations during the last year's (2004) floods, was swindled.

Former Patna district magistrate Gautam Goswami, who was declared 'young Asian hero' by the Time magazine alongside filmstar Shahrukh Khan for the remarkable services he rendered as nodal officer for flood relief, is one of the prime accused in the relief scam case.

The secretariat also demanded institution of a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in execution of the 'food for work' programme, saying in 95 per cent of ongoing schemes minimum wages were not being paid and the workers were not receiving regular payment.

The meeting resolved to launch in August a campaign to seek distribution of ceiling surplus land to the landless and ensure the landless poor who were given land by the Government got possession.